The Philadelphia 76ers pulled off a resounding victory over the defending-champion New York Knicks, exactly what Joel Embiid wanted. Embiid has achieved immense success in the NBA, including an MVP award, but his ultimate goal is to win an NBA Championship. Embiid and Maxey both knew they needed veteran voices around them to take things to the next level.
In a feature for The Athletic, written by David Aldridge, Embiid detailed a tough stretch of his career that was defined by injuries.
“I went through a period the last few years, obviously, I’ve come down with injuries,” Embiid told Aldridge. “I just hated coming into the gym. Like, injuries, I can’t play, this and that. I was miserable, and depressed. I just thought that’s the biggest thing we need — that, not necessarily joyful personality, but something else. And I’m a grown man. A lot of it is on me to fight through it. But then again, it’s also nice when you have other people around you that felt that way and can boost you up a little bit.”
He detailed Jaylen Brown as another player that can preach accountability in the locker room alongside LeBron James.
Article Continues Below“It’s just another guy that can hold guys accountable, because they see that the guy has gotten to the finish line — and beyond the finish line; went through the rope.”
Joel Embiid had a stellar start to the season, scoring 13 points with 11 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks, and 2 steals. He also had a clutch 3-pointer with 3:31 left in the fourth that all but sealed the 76ers' victory.